How Transparency Makes a Difference in Leadership - with Adam Horne

In this episode we keep exploring the topic of trust in leadership, today from the perspective of openness and transparency. We are joined by Adam Horne, the co-founder of OpenOrg, a company on a mission to rebuild trust by bringing transparency to the world of work.We know that being open and transparent as a leader is key to build trust. An article in Harvard Business Review reports 76% higher employee engagement, and Gallup statistics shows 21% higher profit margin, compared to the average transparent company. So what can you do as a leader and what are the dilemmas or questions you are going to face?Key moments04:33 Transparency, what does it actually mean? Obviously, different things to different people and organisations. Adam shares his take on what it means and we discuss different areas that could be considered.10:55 The benefits of openness and transparency is explored, and the link between transparency and performance.15:51 The dilemmas of transparency and what might block leaders from being more open and transparent, both from the perspective of an individual leader, and from the organisation perspective.17:28 We discuss where to start when building a more transparent leadership style24:55 Exploring the balance between ‘being strictly professional’ at work, and ‘being human and personal’ as a leader 31:26 Potential ethical dilemmas around transparency - Adam retells his experience of sharing tough information with his team39:04 Reflection questionsReflection QuestionsAs a leader, what don't I share with my team at the moment that I potentially could, and what are the consequences of that? Look not only at “what could go wrong” but also at “what could go right” by sharing.As an organisation and leadership team, ask where do we want to be more transparent, and where not? And make this a conscious decision. Also think of how this can help bring clarity, establish trust, and drive motivation in the organisation.Go back and look at some of the employee feedback that you are receiving. Think of how might this be related to how I/we build trust? And how might being more transparent and open, help address this feedback? What is it then specifically that I/we can work on as leaders?-----Information about Adam Horne and OpenOrgAdam is the co-founder of OpenOrg and on a mission to help organisations rebuild trust by bringing transparency to the world of work. Find out more at OpenOrg.fyi and connect on LinkedIn Adam Horne-----More info about us and our work is on our website secondcrackleadership.comDo you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for us?  Would you like to explore how we can help you to drive results in your organisations through a company-wide initiative or individual executive coaching? Then email us at  hello@secondcrackleadership.com To connect on LinkedIn:Gerrit Pelzer Martin Aldergård